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Glossary & Guides
A Beginner's Glossary of Call Center Terms
Plain-language definitions of the most common call center terms, from AHT and ACW to IVR, ACD, WFM and AI jargon.
What Is Average Handle Time (AHT)?
What average handle time measures, how to calculate it, why it matters for planning, and why a lower number isn't always better.
What Is Service Level in a Call Center?
What service level means, how it's calculated, how it differs from average speed of answer, and how to choose a target.
Occupancy vs Utilization: What's the Difference?
How occupancy and utilization differ, how each is calculated, and why neither should be pushed to the limit.
What Is Schedule Adherence?
What schedule adherence measures, how it's calculated, how it differs from conformance, and how to manage it fairly.
What Is After-Call Work?
What after-call work involves, why it matters, how it's measured, and how to keep it efficient, accurate and complete.
What Is a Disposition Code?
What disposition codes are, why they matter for reporting, follow-ups and compliance, and what makes a good code list.
What Is Erlang C? Call Center Staffing Math Explained Simply
How the Erlang C formula estimates how many agents a call center needs, with a worked example and its limitations.
What Is Workforce Management (WFM)?
How workforce management forecasts demand, plans staffing, builds schedules and manages the day as it happens.
What Is a CRM, and How Does It Connect to Calls?
What a CRM stores, how it connects to the phone system, and why it matters for faster, more personal calls.
What Is Computer Telephony Integration (CTI)?
How computer telephony integration connects phones and computers, from screen pops and click-to-dial to smarter routing.
What Is a Softphone?
How softphones turn computers and mobiles into business phones, their main types and features, and tips for better calls.
What Is a DID Number?
What direct inward dialing numbers are, how they route calls straight to the right person or team, and how to use them.
What Is a Toll-Free Number, and How Does It Work?
How toll-free and freephone numbers work in the US and UK, their history, benefits and costs for businesses.
What Is Caller ID, and Where Does the Caller's Name Come From?
How caller ID works, where caller names come from, why it isn't always accurate, and what it means for businesses.
What Is a Session Border Controller?
What a session border controller does to protect, connect and manage business calls at the edge of the phone network.
What Are Call Monitoring, Whispering, and Barging?
How supervisors use monitoring, whispering, barging and takeover to support live calls, and how to use them well.
Omnichannel vs Multichannel: What's the Difference?
The difference between offering several channels and connecting them, and what moving to omnichannel requires.
What Is Customer Effort Score?
Where Customer Effort Score came from, how it's measured, how it compares with CSAT and NPS, and how to reduce effort.
What Is Sentiment Analysis on Calls?
How sentiment analysis estimates emotion on calls, what businesses use it for, its limits, and how to use it responsibly.
What Is Speech Analytics?
How speech analytics analyzes every call to reveal why customers call, check compliance and improve coaching.
What Is Natural Language Understanding?
How natural language understanding lets computers work out what callers mean, through intents, entities and context.
What Is a Large Language Model? A Plain-Language Explanation
A plain-language explanation of how large language models work, how they're used in business calling, and their limits.
What Is Latency, and Why Does It Matter on Calls?
What latency is, how much is acceptable, why it happens on internet calls and AI voice agents, and how to reduce it.
What Is a Call Flow?
What routing and conversation call flows are, how to design them, and what makes a good one.
What Is a Knowledge Base?
What a call center knowledge base contains, why it matters for people and AI, and how to keep it accurate and useful.
What Is a Callback Queue (Virtual Hold)?
How callback queues let callers keep their place without waiting on hold, and how to make callbacks work well.
How to Write a Clear Call Script: A Step-by-Step Guide
A step-by-step guide to writing a call script that sounds natural, covers what must be said, and helps every call go better.
How to Leave an Effective Business Voicemail
How to structure a short, clear business voicemail that gets answered, with examples and mistakes to avoid.
How to Set Up a Small Business Phone System
A step-by-step guide to choosing, setting up, securing and testing a phone system for a small business.
How to Choose a Headset for Call Work
The features to consider when choosing a headset for call work, from microphones and noise cancellation to comfort.
How to Improve Audio Quality on VoIP Calls
How to diagnose and fix common VoIP audio problems such as choppy audio, echo, delays and dropped calls.
How to Build a Quality Assurance Scorecard
How to build a QA scorecard that makes call reviews fair, consistent and useful for coaching, with an example structure.
How to Run an Effective Team Huddle
How to run short, structured, interactive team huddles that keep a call center team informed, focused and connected.
How to Prepare for Your First Week in a Call Center Job
What to expect in your first week in a call center job, and practical tips for getting off to a confident start.
How to Handle a Call When You Don't Know the Answer
Practical steps and phrases for handling calls when you don't know the answer, without guessing or losing trust.
How to Take Effective Call Notes
What to include in call notes, what to leave out, and how to write clear notes that help the next person.
How to Verify a Caller's Identity Securely
How to verify callers securely and proportionately, the common methods, their strengths and weaknesses, and warning signs of fraud.
How to Create an Accessible Phone Experience for Customers
Practical steps to make phone menus, calls and staff support work for customers with different needs.
How to Collect and Use Customer Feedback From Calls
How to collect customer feedback after calls, write good survey questions, and turn the results into real improvements.